Jones Soda Develops Co-Branded Soda Line for 7-Eleven

7-Eleven, the largest convenience store chain in the U.S., has tapped craft soda company Jones Soda to create a co-branded line of soft drinks. The new “7-Select brand premium sodas crafted by Jones” will be in 7-Eleven stores across the U.S. by March, according to Jones Soda CEO Jennifer Cue.

Cue said that 7-Eleven had been looking to refresh its private label soda brand and saw Jones, a company known for premium beverages and soft drink innovation, as the ideal partner to create the new 7-Select line.

A press release announcing the launch stated that “the new 7-Select soda and flavor profiles were carefully developed over the course of more than a year, strategically incorporating specific ideas that appeal to the shared 7-Eleven and Jones customer.”

7-Select will be available in five varieties –Twisted Citrus, Fruit Loose, Cocolocolilinut, Tropical Slam Rambutan and Bluesberry Smash — and will be priced at $1.49. The sodas are made with natural flavors, sweetened with cane sugar and sucralose, preservatives and artificial colors. The beverages have 47 grams of sugar per bottle and contain 180-195 calories, depending on variety. Each is also infused with 75 mg of caffeine, a first for Jones’ soda products.

“We spent a lot of time analyzing the 7-Eleven guest,” Cue told BevNET. “It’s a guest that’s on-the-go. Energy drinks do very well in 7-Eleven, so we definitely felt that we wanted to include something that would give the guests a bit of a pick-up in the afternoon.”

Jones Soda products are already represented in 7-Eleven stores across Canada, and the launch of 7-Select follows a recent three-year product and supply agreement between the two companies, which was formalized in October.

Cue said that 7-Eleven is “putting a lot of muscle behind promotions” to support the launch of 7-Select. The new brand will also see a lot of exposure on Jones Soda’s social media accounts, “where we are strong,” she said.

“As a small company, this was a great opportunity for us to get in the doors across the nation,” Cue said. “We feel we’re going to benefit for our core line as well.”